Solar Control Units

Solar Control

Reduces solar heat gain and offers high levels of natural light to provide a comfortable and pleasant environment in which to work and live.

In winter, the fact that glass allows the sun’s heat as well as light into a building can be beneficial; but in summer months, without solar control it can become uncomfortably hot. Solar control glass provides a more comfortable environment, and can help to reduce the capital outlay, running costs and carbon emissions of a building throughout the year, by reducing or eliminating the requirement for air conditioning.

Given the variety of building designs and climatic conditions and the different levels of exposure to solar radiation during the year, the choice of glass must be able to protect the inside of the building to ensure maximum comfort, minimise energy consumption, guarantee safety and, not least, provide the optical and aesthetic qualities that satisfy the designer.

Solar control glass controls solar radiation by managing reflectance, transmittance and absorptance. For solar control purposes, and assuming solar radiation at near normal incidence, these are defined as:

Reflectance – the proportion reflected back into the atmosphere

Absorptance – the proportion absorbed by the glass

Direct Transmittance – the proportion transmitted directly through the glass

Total Transmittance – the proportion transmitted through the glass by all means (also known as g value or solar factor)

How glass can provide solar control
Solar control can be achieved in a number of ways, including body-tinted glass, coated glass, laminated glass with tinted interlayers and IGUs incorporating blinds.

Specifying solar control glass
Today’s increased use of glass in architecture makes it imperative to consider the comfort of a building’s occupants. In hot climates, solar control glass can be used to minimise solar heat gain and help control glare; while in temperate regions. It can also be used to balance solar gain with heat loss and achieve high levels of natural light. Solar control glass can be specified for any situation where excessive solar heat gain is likely to be an issue, from large conservatories to glass walkways, and building façades to atria. The Pilkington range of solar control glass offers performance options to suit almost every need, with each product available in toughened or laminated form.

For further information on our full range of solar control products click here.